Refrigeration machine



Aug.1e,193s. @SANDER A2,126,978

REFRIGERATION MACHINE Filed May 25, 1954 Patented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITED STATI-:s1 PATENT" oFFi-CE aEFmGnA'rIoN MACHINE y Ernst Sander, Dessau, Germany Application May z5, 1934, serial No. 727,563 In Germany May 31, 1933 e claims. (ci. ca -us) The absorption and recovery of gases in refrigerating machines requires, as a rule, for the purpose of exchanging the solutions between the boiler and the absorber, a pumping device, which is not only a hindrance and expensive but causes leaks, particularly in connection with small refrigerating machines. The employment of partial pressure in accordance with the Platen- Munters system makes it possible to dispense with' a pumping device, but on the other hand, 'requiresa high total pressure, under which the entire plant is subjected. lThis causes an expensive construction of the' plant, rendering it. in addition thereto also dangerous, if designed on a large scale.

By means of the present invention the drawbacks, referred to, have been obviated. The process of this invention for the absorption of gases consists therein, that the gases to be absorbed are forced to pass to the absorption liquid through walls, through which gases, but not liquids, can be forced to pass. to circulateby the compensation of its own uid pressure, created by the boiling process, through higher pressures be' necessary, than those essential for the condensation of the gases ployed. t The walls, through which the gases, to be absorbed, are forced to pass prior to the admission remto the absorption liquid, are of a porous natureor consist of membranes which, although absorbing the solvent, they do not allow the latter I to pass through, On the other hand'. they are permeable to the gases to beabsorbed, with the result, thatihey are absorbed by the solvent. The ainity of th'e gas to the solvent is greater than the resistance offered-by the pores'.

A s an appropriate porous material for the walls, porous clay products may be used as well as porous artificial stone products organic masses.

In the accompanying drawing various forms of construction have been illustrated by way of example, showing suitable plans for the purpose o! carrying out the process.,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic viewillustrating a complete refrigerating plant,

Fig. 2 is a similar view of an absorption device,

The absorption liquid is forcedV made from inorganic oror flared out in the form of a funnel.

ing boiling and absorbingdevices housed within one container, Fig. 4 being a modied form of Fig. 3, and f Fig. 5 illustrates a semipermeable wall.

In Fig. 1 a boiler is indicated by I, 2 is a precipitating vessel, 3 is a liqueer, 4 a nozzle, 5 an evaporator, 6 a cooler, 1 an absorber, and 8. an exchange vessel. In the boiler I, gas is evolved by boiling a solution, for instance, methyl amine in water with the aid of a heater I I, and the boiledout liquid iiows into the vessel 2, by means of an overflow pipe 9. This causes the level of the the nozzle 4 into the evaporator 5 the gas will evaporate owing to the drop in pressure. Subsequently the gas is forced into the coolers, in which the liquefied gas is undercooled, and iinally taken up by the solvent within the porous cylinder in the absorber/1.

For thepurpose of ensuring a better exchange,

a gas space may also be placed within the porous container, as shown in Fig. 2. In this way as extensive a wall surface as possible for the absorp-i tion of the gas will be formed. The wall, as s hown in Fig. 2, may have, for example the form of a'pot, but may also be made toconsist of a change of heat and the absorption of the gas may'take place in one vessel.

In Fig. 3 I S is a metallic'vessel, 20 a heating tube, II a heating element, and 2| a tubular body. The tubular body 2I consists, ifnecessary, of metal, with a lower portion 22 suitably enlarged porouswall, allowing gas to pass through, but no liquid, by means ofwhich the gas is admitted to the absorption liquid. I5 is the gas chamber communicating with the evaporator by means of the pipe I6'. Ill is av lter intended for trapping the' water which has been carried along, while 23 represents a pipe connection leading to the ccndenser.

I3is the .This arrangement is intended to be heated electrically. The vessel I9 is charged with the solvent to such an extent that a part of the tube 2I projects from the liquid. If the electric heating element II is energized, the liquid (for instance water with methyl amine), contained within the heating space or chamberI 2|, 22, will be strongly heated. The gas will be boiled out and the boiled out water will be 'forced into the tube 2|. The level of the liquid will always be leveled up automatically, in connection with which the boiled out water drops outside. of the heating space or chamber 2 I. Owing to the contact with the wall I3 of the absorption chamber it will be enriched again with gas and from within the heating space or`chamber'22 again attain the' heating element contained within 2i.

'Ihrough the medium oi' this cycle an excellent exchange of heat will be ensured between the boiled out water and the water enriched with gas by means of the walls of the chamber 2I and 22. At the same time part of the absorption heat will be imparted to the enriched water within the heating chamber 22. The ribs 24 serve for the purpose of discharging or carrying away the surplus heat. v

In accordance with Fig. 4 thetube 2|, forming the boiling space or chamber, with the funnelshaped attachment 22, has been given the shape of a long, tubular body and attached laterally in the common vessel. The heating tube 20 is 'posi- The funnel-shaped attachment 22 should suitably cover at least part of the absorption chamber or space at I3.

Instead of the porous partition I3 any other device may be employed for the absorption process and for overcoming the.diiferences in pressure prevailing in connection therewith. vThe space I may also be filled with water taking up the gas ilowing in untilv it'is saturated and supersaturated, subsequently giving it off through the porous or gas-transmitting walll to the water circulating `within the vessel I9.

In all cases there may be attached to the porous partition or membrane I3 contacts of known kind of a continuous currentV tension for the purpose of hindering or impeding to a greater degree the trickling ofthe absorption liquid, but'l permitting the absorption or the-passage of the gas.

If necessary, several porous partitions may be disposed in series, i. e. one behind the other, for the purpose oi' compensating the drop in pressure between the gas space or chamber and therein, through which the circulating liquid is flowing. This particular arrangement-of the semipermeable partition or wall (Fig. 5) is of general importance in processes in which on one side of the semipremeable partition the liquid flows between a boiler and the absorber in a closed path, and on the other side the gas to be absorbed by the liquid contacts the partition. Preferably said liquid is permitted to boil over an obstructing wall in the boiler by pressure equalization of the liquid in the path of flow. The novel features described inthe foregoing are of special importance to small refrigerating machines.

' I claim as my invention:-

1. An absorption refrigerating machine comprising a vessel provided with cooling ribs and having in the lowest part thereof a gas chamber, said gas chamber being separated from the remaining portion of the vessel by a semipermeable wall which permits only gas to pass therethrough and the vessel containing a pipe having in its upper part a boiling device and the lower part being enlarged to cover over'a part of the semipermeable wall, a condenser, an evaporator, and a lter arranged in the uppermost part of the vessel to separate the water carried along by the boiled out gas, said boiled out gas passing through the condenser and evaporator to the gas chamber of the said vessel which(is filled with absorption liquid to almost adjacent the uppermost end of the pipe.

2. A deyice according to claim 1, in which the pipewith the boiling device is middle of the vessel.

3. A device according to claim 1, in which the pipe with the boiling device isarranged in the middle of the vessel and the semipermeable wall being arranged below the boiling device.

4. An absorption refrigerating machine comprising a vessel having in the lowest part thereof a gas chamber, said gas chamber being separated from the remaining portion of the vessel by a semipermeablelwall which permits only gas to pass therethrough, said semipermeable wall being formed by a plurality of thin walls set one after another, and the vessel containing a pipe arranged in the its lower part being enlarged to cover at least a portion of the semipermeable membrane.

. 5. An absorption device for refrigeration installations, comprising a vessel-containing a'liquid and having an outlet at the top thereof for the refrigerating mediuni, a heating device in the vessel, a tubular body in the vessel and surrounding the heating device in spaced relation therewith, means in the lower part of the vessel into which the refrigerating medium returns to the vessel, said means being composed of a material whichwill permit the passage therethrough of the refrigerating medium as a gas but prevent the passage therethrough of any water, and a filter at the top of the vessel to prevent the passage of any water with the refrigerating l medium.

6. An absorption device for refrigeration installations, comprising a vessel containing a liquid and having an outlet at the top thereof for the refrigerating medium, a heating device in the vessel,'a tubular body in the vessel and surrounding the heating device in spaced relation therewith, and means in the lower part of the vessel into which the refrigerating medium returns to the vessel, said means being composed of a materialv which will permit the passage therethrough of the refrigerating medium as a gas but prevent tubular body having a'funnel shape at the lower end and into which the means extends whereby 

